Speedway area growing; new businesses opening on Main Street

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Speedway area growing; new businesses opening on Main Street

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (May 20th, 2015) — May is always a busy month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but outside the track, the Speedway area is growing rapidly.

Speedway Redevelopment Commission representatives say $31.7 million have either been invested or committed through development agreements in Speedway within the last year — and that doesn’t even include the roundabout project.

Crews broke ground on the $15 million dollar roundabout in June and roads opened in the fall, connecting 16th Street and Crawfordsville Road to Main Street — helping to bring more people to the area.

“It has really helped the businesses,” said Connie Harris, executive director of the Speedway Chamber of Commerce.

“I think restaurants and people realized we had a Main Street. It was really hidden — you couldn’t see it unless you knew we were here — so it’s opened up to all the people traveling downtown or coming from the airport,” Harris explained.

The boost in Speedway business didn’t happen overnight. Harris says city leaders have been working on marketing Speedway as “more than a day in May” for years now. The “Rockin’ on Main” event was part of the process in making Main street a place to visit.

“We wanted people to consider coming to Main Street, because after Carb Day, everyone went downtown or to Broad Ripple and we wanted Speedway to be a destination location… and people kind of thought we were crazy,” Harris joked.

“Every year it’s grown and now people come and see all the new things happening in Speedway,” she said.

One of the new businesses set to open on Main Street on June 17 is Daredevil Brewing Co. Owners say it was a $3 million investment in construction.

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Just across the street, Foyt Wine Vault is set to open during race weekend and Juncos Racing Headquarters start construction next month.
IndyCar team owner Sarah Fisher announced plans to open an indoor karting track along with a restaurant inside called “1911 Grill.”

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce building will be torn down soon while crews build a “Big Woods Speedway” restaurant with a beer garden, and OMR Automotive plans to build its North American headquarters in Speedway just off of Main Street.

For more information about businesses coming to Speedway, click here. For more information about “Rockin' on Main” click here.